Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Business Portal

Business Portal

FSBO Sellers - What to Ask a Potential Buyer

Posted: 06 Oct 2008 12:52 PM CDT


Do you tend to ask a lot of questions? When you are selling your home there are some things that you should ask a buyer, and some things that you should refrain from asking.

There is nothing more annoying, or more frustrating, than an owner who attempts to show off obvious aspects of a home to a potential buyer. Some owners have a tendency to point out things such as large bay windows, but this sort of information isn’t necessary (and it may insult the buyer’s intelligence as well). Likewise, asking about a buyer’s current occupation or yearly salary is crossing the line. However, there are some questions that every owner should ask a buyer before any offer is made.

One of the first things that you should ask a buyer (with a great deal of tact) is, “when do you plan to buy a home?” Narrowing down some sort of buying time can be a great deal of help when you talk to prospective buyers. The other question that you will want to ask is, “have you applied for a mortgage yet?” If a buyer has not applied for a mortgage yet, gently explain that they will have to do so before placing any sort of a deal on a home (some buyers simply do not know this!). Also, make sure that every buyer you spend your time on has some sort of a feasible plan for buying a home. Take a few moments to talk with potential buyers, but don’t start to bully your way into personal details.

If you find that your buyer is starting to look slightly uncomfortable, stop with your line of questioning and leave the buyer alone. So many FSBOs attempt to bombard a buyer with an array of questions that only lead to embarrassment in the end. You merely need to know basic information regarding each buyer, and once you learn this information walk away. Also, it is a good idea to keep valuable information inside of a guest book next to each person’s name, and contact those motivated buyers shortly after your open house.

You can lay out all the refreshments in the world, but if your buyer feels intimidated, they will leave your home without a second thought. The entire point of showing your house is to help a buyer see just how “liveable” your home is, and if you think about it, you might not enjoy a hard line of questioning either. Try to be a gracious host, but do not go overboard.

Hosting an open house is a sure fire way to get buyers into your home, but you can just as easily chase them away if you are not careful. Remember to ask only the essential questions, and skip those small details that you really have no business knowing about.

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Business Portal

Business Portal

Tips and Advice for Showing Your Home Tips

Posted: 05 Sep 2008 12:53 PM CDT


You probably know that you will need to show your home to numerous buyers before you sell your house. But, did you know that there are some ways to show your home more effectively?

If you are not sure where to begin, a wonderful idea is to visit a model home in your neighborhood, and take note of the way in which the salesperson shows you around. The people that show off model homes are highly trained, and they are also great salespeople, so you can easily learn a lot from simple observation. Next, make sure you have the right equipment in place in order to show your house.

You will need to have a small spiral notebook; a pile of blank contracts (you can buy these at nearly any office supply store); and a pile of 8 ½ x 11 inch fact sheets that list all of the important details about your home (price and description). Keep all of these things laid out upon a coffee table or counter, and encourage guests to sign the guest book (spiral book); take a fact sheet, and look over a contract should they show immediate interest. Next, you will want to take timing into careful consideration.

Believe it or not, the best time to show your home is at the same exact time that other homeowners in your neighborhood are showing. If a buyer heads out to a particular neighborhood in search of one listing, they will most likely stop by your home as well. Buyers do not want to go to the same neighborhood more than twice to visit homes, but if you can catch their eye while they are already in the neighborhood, you will have a great advantage. That brings us to the final piece of advice, how to attract buyers from the outside.

So many homeowners hold open houses that nobody notices. Why? Well, if you place a small advertisement in the local newspaper, you will only attract a handful of buyers. Likewise, if you place a small sign in front of your home, many people will not see the sign at all. Instead, place large, colorful, balloons in front of your house, and put some signs throughout your neighborhood. Make sure that your home address (and showing hours) are on the signs that you place, and try and arrange the signs to attract those potential buyers sitting in traffic.

Showing your home can be a great deal of fun, and it is a sure way to tell the world that your house is for sale, but there are some tricks that make showing a home easier. Make sure to heed the aforementioned advice, and remember that selling your home is really all about how you show it off in the first place.
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